A neck lift is a cosmetic surgery that tightens loose skin, removes excess fat, and reshapes the muscles of the neck to create a smoother, more defined jawline and neck contour. The medical term is lower rhytidectomy, and it typically involves two techniques: cervicoplasty (removing excess skin) and platysmaplasty (tightening or altering the neck muscle). About 22,000 neck lifts are performed in the United States each year.
What a Neck Lift Targets
The surgery specifically addresses the area below the jawline and above the collarbone. Common concerns that bring people to a neck lift include loose, sagging skin sometimes called “turkey neck,” visible vertical bands running down the front of the neck (caused by the platysma muscle separating over time), excess fat beneath the chin, and a poorly defined jawline that blends into the neck without a clear angle.
A neck lift focuses only on the neck. It does not address sagging cheeks, deep folds around the nose and mouth, or volume loss in the midface. If those are also concerns, a lower facelift covers the cheeks, jowls, and neck together. Many surgeons recommend combining the two when aging changes affect both areas, since a tight neck next to sagging jowls can look unbalanced.
How the Surgery Works
The procedure typically takes two to three hours. Incisions are placed behind each ear, often extending slightly into the hairline, and in some cases a small incision is made under the chin. Once healed, these incision lines are usually well concealed within the hairline and the natural contours of the ear.
Through these openings, the surgeon does several things depending on what your neck needs. Fat may be removed through liposuction (especially under the chin) or sculpted and redistributed. The platysma muscle is then tightened, which is key to eliminating those vertical bands and restoring a clean angle between the jaw and neck. In heavier necks, a deeper fat pocket beneath the muscle may also need to be removed. Finally, the skin is redraped over the newly tightened structures, and any excess is trimmed away before the incisions are closed with sutures or skin adhesive.
A limited neck lift is also an option for people with milder concerns. This version uses smaller incisions, sometimes only around the ears, and involves less extensive tissue work. It produces more subtle results but comes with a shorter recovery.
Recovery: Week by Week
The first day after surgery, you’ll feel groggy and unsteady from the anesthesia. Most people need prescription pain medication only for the first three to four days. You’ll need someone to drive you home and stay with you the first night, and your surgeon will typically schedule a follow-up visit around day two.
Bruising and swelling peak around days three and four. By days four through six, most people are off pain medication and moving around the house doing light tasks. The second week still brings some swelling, bruising, and a common sensation of numbness, tingling, or tightness in the neck. These are normal and temporary. By the end of week two, many people feel well enough to return to work and begin light walking.
Sutures come out anywhere from the end of week one to week three, depending on your healing. By weeks three and four, residual swelling continues to fade, and most people can return to exercise and social activities without visible signs of the procedure. After the one-month mark, you should be fully back to normal activities.
How Long Results Last
A neck lift does not stop aging, but it does reset the clock significantly. Most people enjoy noticeable results for 10 to 15 years, though this varies with genetics, skin quality, and lifestyle. Sun exposure is one of the biggest factors that accelerates skin aging in the neck, so consistent sun protection helps extend the results. Maintaining a stable weight also matters, since significant weight gain or loss can stretch or loosen the skin and underlying tissues again.
Risks and Complications
Neck lift surgery is generally safe when performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon, but it carries the risks of any surgery. The most common complication is hematoma, a collection of blood beneath the skin that sometimes requires drainage. Other risks include infection, scarring, nerve injury (which can cause temporary or, rarely, permanent numbness or weakness), skin loss, open wounds, and reactions to anesthesia.
There’s also the possibility you won’t be satisfied with the results. Asymmetry, overcorrection, or undercorrection can occur. In those cases, revision surgery is sometimes an option, though most surgeons recommend waiting at least six months to a year before considering it, since swelling can take that long to fully resolve.
Cost
The average surgeon’s fee for a neck lift is $7,885, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. That number covers only the surgeon’s work. It does not include anesthesia, the operating facility, medical tests, prescriptions, or compression garments. When you add those in, the total cost typically ranges from $10,000 to $15,000 or more depending on where you live, your surgeon’s experience, and how extensive the procedure is. Neck lifts are considered elective cosmetic surgery, so health insurance does not cover them.
Neck Lift vs. Nonsurgical Options
If you’re researching neck lifts, you’ve likely also seen nonsurgical alternatives like injectable treatments that dissolve fat under the chin, radiofrequency or ultrasound skin-tightening devices, and thread lifts. These can produce modest improvements for people with early or mild concerns, particularly mild fat beneath the chin or slightly loose skin. They cannot, however, tighten a separated platysma muscle, remove significant excess skin, or produce the dramatic reshaping that surgery achieves. For moderate to severe neck aging, a surgical neck lift remains the most effective option by a wide margin.